Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials

Kitty King

Biography

British professional rider Kitty King, who is based near Chippenham in Wiltshire, last competed at Badminton in 2010. In 2016 with Badminton entry Ceylor Lan Kitty was a member of the British team for the Rio Olympic Games. She is currently ranked 17th in the FEI world rider ranking and at the end of last year was 15th in the BE top 100 rider ranking. In 2015 she was the highest placed member of the British silver medal team at the European Championships (4th Persimmon). In 2018 with Cristal Fontaine she won the CCI1* for six-year-olds at the world championships in Le Lions.

In 2005 after selection for the British team to contest the European Championships at Blenheim, Kitty became the first rider to have represented Great Britain at Pony, Junior, Young Rider and Senior levels. In 1998 she was a member of the British pony team (Red Alert) winning team silver, 2000 a member of the Junior team (Leading Edge) that won team silver, 2002 a member of the British Young Rider team with former racehorse Five Boys winning another team silver. In 2003 the combination won the Young Rider championship title at Bramham and won Young Rider team gold at Bialy Bor.

She is an accomplished producer of young horses and has been successful in major young horse championships including the World Young Horse Championships in Le Lions, the Burghley Young Event Horse final, and age group classes at the BE young horse championships at Osberton.

Kitty comes from a sporting family. Her mother Jane competed at Badminton and Burghley, sister Charlotte has played Rugby for England and sister Lucy has represented Britain in athletics. Kitty is married to former National Hunt jockey Ben King and enjoys supporting her husband point to pointing.

She trains with Tracie Robinson, Ros Morgan and Dickie Waygood.

Vendredi Biats is a 10-year-old French-bred Selle Francais gelding. He is by the Belgian-bred showjumper WinningMood (by Darco) out of a mare by Camelai De Ruelles. He was acquired in 2014 as a rising five-year-old from Padraig McCarthy. In 2018 Vendredi Biats was 5th at Blenheim and 4th at Bramham CCI3* – this will be his first event at five star level.